Archer of the fallen
by TOMMY the grandish person
Summary: One mans war. An archer against an army.


He was dead. The man that had raised me was now a lifeless shell that was being buried before my eyes. My father was killed by another attack on the village. Most of the food had been taken from the storehouse in the center of the village and most worried we would starve when the cold grasp of winter finally got to Thurmalon. My father had killed three soldiers and was slain by the fourth. I just sat in a corner and stared in disbelief as my father had fallen to his knees and collapsed on the ground. My grief was the only thing that kept me running as the soldiers burned our farm to nothing but ashes. I always saw a happy gleam in my father's eyes, but now they just stared glassed over. The cold gray from smoke filled the air as I left my parents graves at the edge of the woods.

I returned to the village where my friend Nisus quickly greeted me and said sarcastically "Gregos, why are you not in the fields with the others harvesting the abundant crop." I just shook my head as I told him about the death of my father. He grimaced "Gregos, I-I'm sorry I didn't hear the news. Do you have any place to stay tonight?" He said questioningly. I answered "I'm not staying here tonight or any other night, I'm leaving." He gasped and said stuttering " but y-you can't go, you need to help with the harv-" I cut him off and yelled "stay for what, another attack, to starve maybe! I'm not going to stay here and die, I'm going to kill the men that slain my father. I'm leaving for bayfrontonia to fight them." I picked up my fathers silver sword and put on his old armor. Then I left. Nisus merely gaped and watched me go over the hill and through the cruel iron gates.

I knew I would be like a rabbit fighting a pack of wolves a thousand strong. So I went to a the nearby city of Athens which would have a trainer to teach me fighting. I walked for miles before I came to the greek city of Athens, and when I went through the gates people stared at me since a young boy was not commonly seen walking through the gates. It was dark when I came to the market so went to lay down behind a vendors abandon cart and drifted off into sleep. When I woke I saw a busy market flooded with people.

My stomach seemed to be telling me to buy something from the mumbling it was doing. I decided to take some of my little money to buy some bread. I soon found myself walking up to a vendor and buying some bread. But before I could take a bite I saw a dirty hungry child walking down the street clutching his stomach in pain. I stood up broke the bread in half and gave him some of my bread. He some of it and did something that surprised me. He gave some of it to a beggar who broke it again and handed it to some one else who did the same. I asked "why did you do that? He said through startlingly white teeth " because that beggar hasn't eaten in days, and the old woman he gave part to was in worse shape than he was. We do that to give hope to those who have none."

I asked the boy" What is your name?" He told me his name was Myles. I discovered he had no family and he told me he was living off the beggars honor code where they all give half of what they have. Myles said "I know this city as well as a man with a map." I asked him if he knew of anyone that would teach me to fight. His laugh surprised me and for the first time in days, I smiled. He said " half the people in the city could teach you sword play but not as many could even handle a bow and arrow. My father was an archer and taught me everything he knew." Myles then took out a bow and a single arrow. He took me into the forest and handed me the bow and helped me notch the arrow. He told me to aim and shoot. I aimed at a deer running through the field and let the string go. Myles stared as the arrow met its mark making the deer fall over dead where it was standing. "Your a born archer, Gregos." He said as we took the deer up to the gates and went back into the city of Athens. We cooked the meat and gave it to all the beggars who gave it to other beggars. Most of the beggars got some of the deer and thanked us for filling there stomach. Myles gave me his bow and a volley of arrows telling me not to dwell on hate. As I lost sight of Athens I knew I'd return. About to fight an army I wondered If I'd win this fight, I knew I'd fight till death claimed me, but I asked myself " will it be enough, only I could decide that."


End file.
